It is a good little coyote gun, great one actually. Those 30 gr bullets explode when they hit a coyote and dispatch them quickly; speed kills, and the .204 has speed. Its flat trajectory also helps because you might have one coyote at 50 yards, and then have a second out at 300; not having to think too hard into holdover is a great thing. But for target shooting there are better, more cost efficient, options.

Shoots flat, no kick, not as loud as other guns, doesn't wear out barrels, doesn't heat barrels up as much as other rounds like a 22-250.
Bucks the wind very well, as they have a high BC for the bullet weights.
Cheap to reload for, and wont destroy cases.

As a straight out Varmint gun they are probably the best option, much better than the 17cal centerfires, less drop that a 223, and cheaper to run than a 22-250.
If you were going to try for deer, 223 might be better as you can get heavier projectiles that are designed for game, 22-250 running a 75gr bullet gives you excellent wind bucking and better energy for deer, but needs a faster twist than most factory guns come with standard.

204 with a 55gr bullet bucks the wind very well also and has about the same energy as a 223 with a 55gr bullet, but your average 204 ruger doesn't have a fast enough twist for them, and then when you can shoot them you can't shoot a 32gr bullet.

I wouldn't hesitate taking a 400 yard shot on a coyote if it was the only chance that I was going to get and if I had gotten a little practice to see what the drop would be... But it isn't too common for a coyote to stay out at 400 yards. They are either interested and close that distance pretty quickly and will get more hesitant around the 200 yard mark, or they will bolt and be gone (at least in my experience with them). If you are doing a good job with the calling, then they will come straight into your lap without stopping for much more than a breath.

The range at which a coyote can be killed with it will be determined more by your skill as a shooter and the conditions you are shooting in. Light bullets get pushed around by wind. I don't think it would be any problem to kill a coyote at 400 yards or farther on a calm day.

If you can hit a coyote at 400 yards with a 40 grain v-max round, it will hit hard enough to kill the coyote. Take a look at its trajectory data, it is impressive. Downrange energy at 400 yards is plenty to kill a coyote.

I have the CZ American 527 in the 204. the 204 is very accurate, in this case, light, and you can easily watch the impact of your hits in the scope because of lack of recoil. The round has plenty of power for killing coyotes at longer range with the 40gr bullets I use. Its my choice over my 22-250 and 223.

Just recently moved down here [Louisiana] from Indiana, and sold my .204 to get a rig better suited to the hogs----but in all honesty, the .204 was one of the best and most fun calibers I ever had---first one was a Browning A-bolt and the second, believe it or not, was a Ruger #1---both would cut cloverleafs at a hundred yards, so easy to shoot and enough bullet weight to drop coyotes in their tracks---as mentioned earlier, they are so fast that you can see the hit before the recoil, what little bit there is, moves the scope picture----I'd still have the #1 but really no use for it down here, not the best caliber for the pigs and not much need for the long range accuracy, but as a super ground hog and coyote gun in the midwest, can't think of another caliber that's better------- John

If you decide to go for the .204, show us some photos of what you get, [ I'd strongly suggest the CZ's] and let me know where you are and I'll send you a factory new box of the Hornaday's I still have in the gun cabinet------John

__________________
Still happily answering to the call-sign Peetza.
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The problem, as you so eloquently put it, is choice.
-The Architect
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He is no fool who gives what he can not keep to gain what he can not lose.
-Jim Eliott, paraphrasing Philip Henry.

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